End of World War I almost ruined the firm but also led to the birth of the motorcycle idea
S PEED HAS always been BMW’s forte, whether it was the start of the first BMW factory in the Southern German state of Bavaria, which initially began with making aeroplane engines, or becoming one of the few multi-brand enterprises to focus entirely on premium brands from the small car and motorcycle segment to top luxury class.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW), first took shape in 1917, when, inspired by the propellers of an aeroplane for which the company made engines, the first blue and white BMW logo came into existence.
But the end of World War I, on terms and conditions set out by the Versailles Treaty, almost ruined the company. It was at this time that an engineer who worked with BMW came up with the idea of making motorcycles.
The first BMW motorcycle developed by the German automaker in its struggle for bare survival and under great time pressure, proved to be an outstanding success.
The flat-twin power unit and shaft drive have made BMW motorcycles highly successful to this day.
Unlike what many think, cars came on the BMW roster much later—in late 1928 to be precise, with a car that was modelled on the basis of the ‘Dixie’, a very popular British car model of the time.
The brand first went for a revamp in 1933 when it launched the BMW 303, a six-cylinder car. It was with this car that a BMW’s radiator grille shaped like a double kidney first came onto the market. To this day, the kidney grille, which may have changed in size since it was first introduced, is a differentiator for BMW cars.
With the introduction of BMW 328, the automaker made its first successful foray into the world of racing.
But again the end of WW II saw BMW’s fortunes changing as allies took over BMW’s plants in the spring of 1945. The company, had, during the war, built military products, primarily aircraft engines since the 1940s. It was classified as an armament manufacturer and had to cease production immediately.
The company was hit very badly by the confiscation of its Eisenach Car production plant by the Red Army, losing not only machinery and production facilities but also technical documents and skilled workers. A motorcycle again saved the company’s dipping fortunes with BMW building the first post-war motorcycle three years after the allies took over the company’s fortunes. This was thus the beginning of a new era as BMW went from strength to strength. The company introduced a number of luxury models from 1951 to 1954. In 1954, BMW introduced the BMW 502 with is light-alloy V8 power unit that quickly became the most exclusive large saloon in Germany.
Since then, BMW has moved with the times even while retaining its basic logo and grille even in its most contemporary avatars like the sporty Z4 and the ultra-luxurious 7 series.
Like they say, some of the best things in life are the simplest.